Leeds United 1 Boro 1

Boro more than matched the Champuionship high-fliers but could not hold on in injury time and had to settle for a disappointing draw

BORO suffered a stoppage time sickener as a late lapse at the back let Leeds claim an Elland Road equaliser at the death.

Boro had put in a battling display away at the high-flying Yorkshire outfit and deservedly led at the break thanks to a David Wheater header.

Then they dug in well to defend after the break as Leeds piled on the pressure and looked to be in sight of what would have been a second successive away victory when Luciano Becchio grabbed a 91st minute leveller.

Boro fans, players and the boss were left feeling crest-fallen on the whistle but it had been a solid and encouraging display.

With Gary O'Neil thelatest victim of the flu virus making its way through the Boro squad, Marvin Emnes started on the right flank with Scott McDonald taking his place up front and Nicky Bailey returning in place of Mickael Tavares in central midfield.

Leeds showed first in the opening minute as Howson pushed a ball forward towards McCormack on the edge of the box and he checked past Wheater then under pressure from Matthew Bates he fired just wide of the far post.

Boro's first probe came on three minutes as Kevin Thomson pumped a free-kick into the box and as it dipped towards the far post Wheater barged through but couldn't connect.

Then soon after Joe Bennett burst down the left then laid the ball back for Julio Arca to chip into the box and it sailed to the far side where Bailey almost reached it before it bounced out of play.

Leeds enjoyed a bright spell and threatened on eight minutes as Howson and Johnson combined to find McCormack but he fired over from 22 yards then another crisp move almost sent Gradel into the box but Wheater stretched to cut out the danger.

Then on 14 minutes they almost broke through as Boro failed to clear their lines and Howson chipped a ball back to the edge of the box where McCormack did well with his back to goal to flick it over his shoulder then turn to burst forward but Wheater did just enough to block his run and the ball ran loose for Jason Steele to collect.

Boro won a dangerous looking free-kick level with the spot wide on the right but Arca's effort was headed clear as McDonald climbed and the ref had aleady whistled for some pushing in the box and gave Leeds a free-kick.

And Boro took the lead on 21 minutes from another Arca dead ball.

Good work from Leroy Lita won a corner on the right ands when Arca's inswinging flag-kick curled towards the near post DAVID WHEATER burst through the crowd and powered in a downward header and claim a goal from a setpiece for the second game running.

On 24 minutes Thomson limped off with what looked like a recurrence of his shin injury from an earlier fracture with Barry Robson coming on

Leeds responded with a good spell of pressure but after pinning Boro back they couldn't break through and frustarted Gradel lashed a wild angled shot well over from 22 yards.

Another Leeds attack ended as Bailey got in first and intercepted a ball aimed down the right and a fraction of as second later he was hit with a crunching tackle by Connelly for his trouble but the Leeds man escaped a card.

Boro were battling well and getting into tackles but defending deep and looking to hit on the break and twice Lita almsot got onto balls down the flanks before being muscled out.

Leeds won a corner on the right on 35 minutes but as the ball came in low towards the near post McCormack stabbed wide under pressure from Bennett.

Boro threatened when McDonald turned neatly in the box onto an Emnes ball but his shot was block by O'Brien then when a half-cleared ball into the box landed nicely for Arca 25 yards his low snap-shot fizzed wide.

Then on 40 minutes Robson chipped into the box for McDonald who glanced his header wide and when Emnes reated quickly to keep it in play on byline he was fouled by Arca's free-kick in was easily cleared,

Leeds were resorting to long punts forward now. One ball found Howson 25 yards out but his low speculative shot bounced safely into the arms of the diving Steele then on the stroke of half-time Gradel knocked a long ball on for McCormack to chase but it was too far in front of him and Steele was off his line quickly to smother.

Then Leeds won a free-kick 25 yards out but after a well worked routine that opened a gap in the defence Johnson blazed his shot well wide of the far post.

HALF-TIME: LEEDS 0 BORO 1

Boro pressed quickly after the restart with Lita sending Emnes down the inside right channel to trick and turn and hold off a crowd off three defenders but twice his attempted balls into the box were scrambled away.

Then a Hoyte throw was passed over to the far side and when Bennett knocked it it Emnes was sent flying as he tried to collect.

Down the other end Leeds probed as Becchio broke down the left but Hoyte tracked back to block his attempted cross and the resulting corner was scrambled away then they won a free-kick after Bennett climbed over Snodgrass but it came to nothing.

On 55 minutes Leeds made a double substitution, Sam coming on for the lack-lustre Gradel and Kilkenny for Hughes.

Arca was booked on 59 minutes for a foul on Johnson 30 yards out and from the resulting free-kick McCormack curled a good effort just wide of the near post.

Leeds were enjoying a good spell now and went close on the hour as Sam collected a Becchio knockdown on the edge of the box and drilled a low 20 yard effort a foot wide of the near post.

Robson was booked on 63 minutes for a foul on Snodgrass wide on the right and from the free-kick Collins put a looping header high over the bar.

Boro almost broke through to seal it with a flash of magic on 66 minutes as Bailey and Arca combined in the middle to slot a ball to the edge of the box and Bennett did well to control and skip over one challenge then turn neatly and drag back past one defender and jink past another to get sight of goal but he scooped his 12 yard effort high over the bar.

Straight up the other end Leeds broke down the right and Snodgrass squared to the edge of the box for Howson to blaze high over.

Boro threatened again on 69 minutes as Bennett tricked his way down the left then slotted a ball into the box towards Lita but defender Collins cut out the pass.

Boro put on Kris Boyd for Lita on 70 minutes.

Leeds were piling on the pressure now but Boro were working hard to keep them at bay 30 yards out with Bailey and Robson flying into tackles and both full-back closing quickly whenevr Leeds trioed to use the flanks and forcing the home side into high balls into the box.

On 78 minutes Boro put on Tony McMahon for McDonald. He went to full back with Hoyte pushing into midfield and Emnes going up front alongside Boyd.

Boro threatened on 78 minutes as Hoyte flicked a ball forward over defender Collins then burst down the right. He checked then tried to pick out Emnes' run into the box and when the ball came back to him laid it back for Arca then rushed foward for the return but Kilkenny stretched to just prevent him collecting.

There was a scare on 80 minutes as a corner was scrambled clear then when Watt knocked the ball back into the crowd Steele rushed out to collect at the far post but fumbled and the ball drifted just outside the far post with half of the home crowd celebrating what looked like a goal but the flag had gone up anyway for an offside against Howson.

With five minutes remaining and Leeds building up a head of steam there was a scare as a ball came in from the right and Wheater's glancing header landed at the feet of Howson eight yards out but Bates was in quickly to block and then scramble it away.

Then after another scramble the ball was hoofed clear and when the crowd cleared Becchio was on the deck needing treatment.

Then in a nervous finish Leeds went close on 89 minutes as a ball in was nodded clear by Wheater and knocked straight back in by Watt for Sam on the right of the box with space and time but when he drilled in a low shot Steele went full length to save.

Then Boro suffered a sickening blow a minute into stoppage time as Leeds forced a leveller.

Down at one end Emnes found Hoyte in the box but with the shot on he stumbled and lost the ball. It was quickly pumped down the right and when Watt chipped into the box Wheater was beaten in the air by makeshift targetman Collins who knocked the ball down into the box and Steele was forced to rush out to punch weakly clear before McCormack could pounce only for the ball to land kindly at the feet of unmarked Luciano BECCHIO and he slammed it into the ungaurded net.

Then deep into stoppage time Leeds could have snatched it as Watt curled a ball in from the right and McCormack connected with a diving header but it flashed wide of the far post.

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